Universities Saw Donations Rise in 2006

Private donations to American colleges and universities increased 9.4 percent in 2006—or $2.4-billion more than in 2005, for a total of $28-billion, reports The Chronicle of Higher Education.

The findings come from a report released yesterday by the Council for Aid to Education. While the amount of money given by alumni and other donors increased in 2006, the alumni-participation rate dropped from 12.4 percent in 2005 to 11.8 percent in 2006—continuing a downward trend that started several years ago.

The director of the study, Ann E. Kaplan, notes that “more institutions are asking” for donations by conducting big capital campaigns, several of which are looking to raise $1-billion or more. Stanford University began a $4.3-billion campaign last year—the largest higher-education capital campaign in the United States.

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